Pediatric emergency care
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Dog bites are a major cause of injury, especially in the pediatric population. Common anatomic sites of dog bites on children are the peripheries and the head and neck. The torso is reportedly injured less frequently, and only 2 cases of intra-abdominal injury secondary to dog bites have been reported. ⋯ Because rabies is always fatal, postexposure prophylaxis should be considered in appropriate cases. Dog bites can be life-threatening, and prevention is the best approach to solve this problem. Clinicians need to be aware that some dog bites can be devastating and should be familiar with the principles of managing these wounds.
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Pediatric emergency care · Sep 2016
Epidemiology of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury in a Dense Urban Area Served by a Helicopter Trauma Service.
Pediatric traumatic brain injury is the most common cause of death and a major cause of morbidity in children and young adults worldwide. Despite this, our understanding of epidemiological factors relating to this type of injury is incomplete. The objective of this study was to explore a variety of factors relating to these injuries including mechanism, timing of emergency response, prehospital management, radiological diagnosis, neurosurgical care, and final outcomes. ⋯ An improved understanding of the epidemiology of pediatric brain injury will provide baselines for future outcome measurement and comparative analysis. This may improve service organization and delivery.
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Pediatric emergency care · Sep 2016
Case ReportsRadiologic, Neurologic and Cardiopulmonary Aspects of Submersion Injury.
Many indices and scores are used in critical care medicine to aid management and predict risk of mortality. We report 2 cases of submersion injury and discuss the usefulness and application of common respiratory and critical care indices. The respiratory indices help better understand the pulmonary pathophysiology and characterize the severity of lung injury and ventilation/perfusion mismatch. ⋯ These cases illustrate that resuscitation should be promptly instituted at the scene to ensure optimal outcome because initial pulmonology and neurology indices may not reliably predict mortality or intact survival. The GCS score was not initially designed for prognostication. Nevertheless, 2 serial GCS scores of 3, one performed at emergency department and one at the pediatric intensive care unit, were associated with nonsurvival in our second patient.
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Pediatric emergency care · Sep 2016
Review Case ReportsThe Great Pretender: Pediatric Wandering Spleen: Two Case Reports and Review of the Literature.
Wandering spleen is a rare condition, typically not only due to embryological defects of the splenic ligaments, but also secondary to trauma and splenomegaly. The most common presentation is acute abdomen with a mobile abdominal mass or recurrent abdominal pain. ⋯ A familiarity, if present, strengthens the diagnostic suspect. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography are the examination of choice, and the management is surgical.